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OVERVIEW

Many students are hesitant about speaking in front of a class, but by providing them an opportunity to use an app for presentation, students can practice their speaking skills in a lower stakes situtation. Additionally, they are exposed to another skill for their technology toolbox. For this lesson students examine the differences between physical and chemical changes. After understanding these changes, in small groups students follow instructions for making popcorn, photographing each step. Then students create a video using the SonicPics app to narrate their photos and answer questions about this change.

FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE

The International Reading Association has taken the position that for students “to become fully literate in today’s world, students must become proficient in the new literacies of 21st-century technologies. As a result, literacy educators have a responsibility to effectively integrate these new technologies into the curriculum, preparing students for the literacy future they deserve.” These new technologies include numerous and varied applications for iPads, which Hutchison, Beschorner and Schmidt-Crawford point out has made learning possible anytime, anywhere. No longer are students tied to a computer lab or library setting to research information or communicate their discoveries. They also found that students were highly motivated when using iPads in the classroom. This engaging lesson encourages students to learn a new application as well as practice their speaking abilities.